ONLINE SAFETY: useful information for children, parents and staff. Please click here to download this important Ofsted handout, with further links to other helpful resources.

Keeping Children & Young People Safe

In accordance with the Children’s Acts of 1989 and 2004; the Education Act 2002; Working Together to Safeguard Children 2015; and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016; Highsted Grammar School has a duty to assist local authority specialist children’s services departments acting on behalf of children in need or enquiring into allegations of child abuse. Highsted Grammar School follows a child centred and coordinated approach to safeguarding. A ‘Culture of Vigilance’ has been fostered, where it is agreed by all that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Highsted Grammar School firmly believes that it has a strong pastoral responsibility to promote the welfare of children and that children have a right to be protected from harm; this is consistent with our overall aims to educate the whole pupil and foster personal as well as academic development. Highsted Grammar School expects all stakeholders of the school to share these values.

This webpage is designed to promote this fundamental aim and to offer support and advice to young people, parents/carers and all those who engage with the school, whatever the capacity. Within it you will find information about our school safeguarding policies, advice on a range of safeguarding issues and access to help.

In support of these aims, we are proud to announce that Highsted has successfully been awarded the ‘School Safety Award’ through attaining high standards of safety management in the workplace and learning environment.

Important message for young people and parents/carers

CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency and is here to help children and young people. We are here to help if you are a young person and you or your friend (up to age 18) has been forced or tricked into taking part in sexual activity with anyone online, or in the real world. We also have advice and links to support for other online problems young people might face, such as cyberbullying and hacking. Visit our Safety Centre for information, advice and to report directly to CEOP, by clicking on the Click CEOP button below.

If you are an adult stakeholder and require further information, advice or wish to report concerns directly to CEOP, visit the Safety Centre, by clicking on the Click CEOP button.

School Safeguarding Policies

To download a copy of our relevant safeguarding policies, please click on the following links:

The internet and social media provides many opportunities for those with extreme views to target young or vulnerable individuals. Police and partners put considerable effort into removing terrorist and extremist material however, communities defeat terrorism, which is why we must maintain the strong relationship between the public and police. Police depend on information from the public in our efforts to keep us all safe and we are asking anyone who has concerns about online content to report it by clicking the STOP Terrorists’ & Extremists’ Online button.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) has produced an information leaflet with advice of what to do if you are caught up in a terrorist incident, firearms or weapons attack. The advice is to ‘run, hide and tell’ - guidance which can be applied to many places and situations. To download the RUN.HIDE.TELL leaflet, please click here.

Self-harm: Young Minds support packs for parents/carers and young people

Technology has become integral to young people's lives and it is important that they know how to stay safe online and make the most of the opportunities that the internet provides. Whether you are a young person, parent or carer, or working with children, there are lots of resources to help. Click the links below to obtain further help:

Digital Parenting magazine has helped millions of families get to grips with the digital world. Highsted Grammar School subscribes to this magazine in order for every family with a student in the school to have access to the information. To obtain your copy of any issue, please click on the following links. Things change all the time in the digital world so it’s a good idea to read the latest issue of Digital Parenting magazine first.